Earth working blade attachment tool, and method of positioning and mounting same on the blade



y 20, 1965 c. A. ROBINSON 3,195,250

EARTH WORKING BLADE ATTACHMENT TOOL, AND METHOD OF POSITIONING AND MOUNTING SAME ON THE BLADE Filed Sept. 26, 1962 O 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Cecil A. Robinson Attorneys y 20, 1965 c. A. ROBINSON 3,1953

EARTH WORKING BLADE ATTACHMENT TOOL, AND METHOD OF POSITIONING AND MOUNTING SAME ON THE BLADE Filed Sept. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORL Cecil A, Rb'bih'son Attorneys United States Patent EARTH WGRKING BLADE ATTAHMENT TGGL,

AND METHOD (BF POSITIONING AND MUUNT- ING SAME ON THE BLADE Cecil A. Robinson, Sullivan, 111., assignor of one-half to Lloyd Younger, .1112, Bethany, Ill. Filed Sept. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 226,417 10 Claims. (Cl. 37-145) This invention relates to an attachment tool for earth working blades, especially tractor mounted bulldozer blades, and to a simple method for positioning and mounting the tool on the blade. Earth working blades are commonly employed on selfpropelled earth moving vehicles, such as graders and tractors. On tractors they are generally designated as bulldozer blades. The blades are supported in various well known ways on movable operator controlled adjustable frames attached to the vehicle. For certain types of work, special tools, such as scarifiers or rooters, are employed in place of the blade. Various types of tools of this character have been provided but some of them require substitution of the tool for the blade. Others necessitate manual handling of the tool in attaching it to the blade if it is of the attachment type. Since tools of the character described are relatively heavy, attaching the same is diflicult and time consuming.

Summarizing the invention, it overcomes the foregoing problems by the provision of a simple but yet strong attachment tool, particularly a scarifier type tool for a tractor vehicle, which is of such construction as to enable it to be mounted directly on a bulldozer blade of the tractor or a blade of any other type of earth working vehicle, without having to remove any portion of the blade structure or mar the same, such as by drilling connecting holes therein, and without having to handle the attachment manually during positioning and mounting thereof on the blade. Thus, the invention has as its objects, among others, the provision of an improved simple, strong and economical attachment of the character described which can be directly mounted on the blade of an earth working machine, and which is of such character as to enable the mounting on the blade to be effected rapidly without having to handle it manually either by a hoist or otherwise, in order to position and mount it on the blade. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the attachment tool, illustrating in phantom lines an earth working blade upon which the attachment is mounted;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation looking in the direction of line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a medial attaching bracket employed in connecting the tool to the blade;

FIG. 6 is also an isometric view of another type of bracket desirably employed for connecting the tool, but which may be omitted if so desired;

FIG. 7 is a more or less schematic side elevational view of a tractor-bulldozer blade combination in phantom lines, illustrating the attachment tool hereof in connected work ing position;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the tractor bulldozerblade combination, in phantom lines, illustrating an initial position of the blade with respect to the attachment tool for effecting mounting of the tool on the blade;

4 FIGS. 9 and 10 are fragmentary views similar to FIG.

3,l95,25d Patented July 20, 1Q65 8, illustrating further sequences for effecting positioning of the tool on the bulldozer blade.

With particular reference to FIG. 7, a conventional type of motor vehicle, such as a tractor 2 is illustrated, having a bulldozer blade 3 mounted thereon in a well known manner by means of a framework 4 adjustably connected to the tractor to enable raising and lowering and angling of the blade by suitable power operated mechanism 6, also in a conventional manner. The usual form of bulldozer blade has a concave working face 7, forwardly projecting side wings 8, and a bottom cutting edge 9 which is usually detachably mounted. The attachment tool hereof, indicated generally by reference numeral 11, is detachably mounted directly on the bulldozer blade.

Such tool is of simple, economical and strong construction, and comprises a unitary and rigid all metal frame structure, the components of which will be referred to with reference to the upright position illustrated by FIG. 1. Spaced apart steel scarifiers 12, especially shaped in the form of rooters, but which may be for any other scarifying purposes, hav downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth 13 and are all rigidly connected together, such as by welding, by spaced apart transversely extending braces 14 located between the top and bottom ends of the scarifiers. Desirably these braces are angle irons positioned between the respective scarifiers. The teeth 13 project below the lowermost set of braces 14; and the lower earth penetrating ends of the teeth are desirably hardened, such as by case hardening. The top end portions of the scarifiers project above the upper set of braces 14.

The intermediate portions of the rear faces of the scarifiers which are adapted to engage the blade, are all of the same convex curvature conforming to the curvature of the concave working face 7 of the blade. Hence, when the tool is detachably mounted on the blade, it will be in full abutting engagement with the blade to provide a strong relatively rigid mounting.

. As additional reinforcement to increase strength, a top metal plate 15 is, desirably, rigidly secured, such as by welding, to the top portions of the scarifiers above the upper braces 14; and a reinforcing flange 16 is desirably welded to the top ends of the scarifiers. A cut-out opening 17 is provided medially of plate 15 over the central scarifier tooth 12 and smaller cut-out openings 18 are provided in plate 15 in line with the scarifiers adjacent the medial scarifier, for a purpose to be explained.

Means is provided on the attachment tool, for enabling the same to be automatically positioned and mounted on the blade without the necessity of lifting the same during the positioning and mounting operation. Such means includes hook means on the rear of the attachment frame structure above and adjacent the bottom thereof, comprising a plurality of steel hook members 21 rigidly secured to the respective scarifiers 12, desirably by Welding, and which are all in transverse alinement. Each hook member is open at the top as indicated at 22 to provide a slot between the hook member and the associated scarifier 12 for receiving and seating the lower Working or cutting edge 9 of the blade.

Fastening elements are also provided on the frame structure above hook means 21 for detachable connection with the blade after its cutting edge h is fully engaged in the hok means and the rear face of the tool is in full abutment with the working face of the blade. Such elements include an elongated aperture 23 in each side of the frame structure formed by each side scarifier 12, and a similar elongated aperture 24 formed in the medial scarifier 12; all being in substantial alinement and adapted to receive connecting pins 26 insertable through registerable apertures in side wings 8 of the blade and in a special type of a bracket 27 which is in detachable or floating engagement with the top edge of the blade.

As seen in FIG. 5, bracket 27 includes a channeled hook portion 28 adapted to fit slidably over the top edge 29 of theblade with the opposite faces of the channel substantially in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade in the manner shown in FIG. 3, and a forwardly projecting flange 31 rigidly secured to the front of hook portion'28, desirably by welding so as to be integral therewith. Flange 31 has a downwardly extending abutment portion engageable with the front face of the blade, and a connecting pin receiving aperture 32 registerable with the elongated aperture 24 in the medial scarifier 12; the aforementioned opening 17 in top plate providing room for properly manipulating bracket 27 for lateral adjustment to bring aperture 32 closely adjacent elongated aperture 24. The vertical spacing between the fastening elements 23, 24 at the top of the attachment tool and the slots 22 formed by hook members 21, is such as to provide accurate matching with apertures 23 on the blade and with bracket aperture 32 when the attachment is completely positioned on the blade.

Hook portion 28 of bracket 27 is relatively long to provide stability on the blade, thus making for a firm detachable mounting of the attachment in cooperation with the side detachable connecting means 23, 26. Such connecting means comprising bracket27 and the side connect ing means is usually all that is required. However, if

the attachment is very large, and greater stability is desired, additional top connecting means may be provided. They are shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 wherein the scarifiers next adjacent the medial scarifier 12 are provided with elongated apertures 36 and are adapted to be connected by means of pins in the manner previously described, with brackets 37 shown in FIG. .6. Each bracket 37 has a slot 38 enabling the bracket to be removably positioned over the top edge 2& of the blade and for lateral adjustment therealong, and a forwardly projecting portion 39 provided with a connecting pin aperture 41. In this connection, the recesses 18 permit manual mounting and manipulation of the brackets 37 over the top edge of the blade.

V Itwill be noted that since thebracket 27, and brackets 37 when employed, have a detachable hook type mounting over the top edge 29 of the blade, and the bottom edge 9 of the blade is detachably hooked in members 22, no marring of the blade is necessary to connect the attachment. Thus, the working face of the blade is not deformed in any manner when the attachment is applied; and when the attachment is removed, the blade will be in original working condition.

As previously related, the construction of the attach ment tool frame is such that it enables detachable position: ing and mounting of the. tool on the earth working blade by a simple method which does not require manual lifting of the tool during the attaching operation. Such method is illustrated by FIGS. 8 through 10. In the method, the convex face of the tool is. first positioned at rest on a supporting surface 46, namely, the ground; and because of such curvature, the top end portion of the tool, as indicated by-47, will be above the'ground, thus providing a space between the ground and such top end portion 47.

Hence, when the vehicle is propelled forwardly, the lower portion of the blade is inserted between such top edge portion 47 and the ground. Continued forward propulsion of the blade by driving the vehicle forwardly elevates the top end of the tool while its bottom end remains: supported on the ground as is illustrated in FIG. 9. Upon further continuance of such forward mo-- tion, the lower edge of the blade is caused to engage hook means 22 and bring the concave face of the blade into full abutment engagement with the convex face of the tool. In such position, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the foregoing described detachable fastening elements are allin proper position; and the tool can be readily detachably connected to the blade as previously described.

During the foregoing described positioning and mounting operation, the usual side wings 8 of the blade structure conveniently serve as guides to confine the attachment against lateral displacement, as the width of the tool is slightly less than the distance between wings 3, as can be seen from FIG. ll However, if the blade is one not provided with side wings, the attachment can still be mounted in the manner described by initial alinement of the tractor with the attachment; the laterally adjustable mounting of brackets 28 and 37 enabling accurate positioning thereof with the scarifiers to which they are to be connected. To facilitate the mounting operation, the operator of the vehicle can manipulate the blade by raising or lowering the same, and angling it if he so desires, Removal of the tool from the blade can be readily effected in a reverse manner, merely by disconnecting the detachable connecting means, and then backing the tractor away from the tool to causethe blade to slip out of hook means 22.

Although the invention has been particularly described in connection with a rooter attachment for a tractor-bulldozer blade cornbination,it is apparent that the principle hereof can be employed with any type of attachment tool for any-type of vehicle mounted earth working blade, wherein the concave-convex, blade-tool curvature relationship obtains and the hook means is provided adjacent the bottom of the tool,

I claim:

1. An earth working blade attachment tool-comprising a rigid frame structure including a plurality of upright spaced apart scarifiers having downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth, the rear face of said frame structure being of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the front face of an earth working blade upon which the tool is to bedetachahly mounted; and means providing for detachable mounting of the frame structure on said blade comprising hook means open at the fastening elements including a bracket having a channeled hook portion for detachably engaging over the top of said blade with the opposite faces of the channel substantially in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade and a forwardly projecting flange rigid with said hook portion having a downwardly extending abutment portion engageable with the front face. of the blade and a connecting pin receiving aperture.

2. An earth working blade attachment tool comprising a rigid frame structure including a plurality of upright spaced apart scarifiers having downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth, the rear face of said frame struc ture being of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the'curvature of the front face or" an earth working blade upon which the tool is to be detachably mounted; and means providing for detachable mounting of the frame structure on said blade comprising hook means open at the top and mounted on said frame structure above the bottom thereof for'receiving the lower edge of the blade, and fastening elements on said frame. structure above said hook means for detachable connection with said blade; said fastening elements including a connecting pin receiving aperture in each side of the frame structure, a bracket having a channeled hook portion for detachably engaging over the top of said blade substantially centrally thereof with the opposite faces. of the channel substantially in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade and a forwardly projecting flange rigid with said hook portion having a downwardly extending. abutment portion engageable with the front face of the blade and a apart scarifiers having downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth and a plurality of transversely extending spaced apart braces rigidly securing said scarifiers, a scarifier being at each side of the frame structure, the rear faces of said scarifiers being of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the front face of a bulldozer blade upon which the tool is to be detachably mounted; and means providing for detachable mounting of the frame structure on said blade comprising hook means rigid with said frame structure above the bottom thereof .and open at the top for receiving the lower edge of the blade, and fastening elements above said hook means for detachable connection with said blade; said fastening elements including a connecting pin receiving aperture in each side of the frame structure, and a bracket having a channeled hook portion for detachably engaging over the top of said blade with the opposite faces of the channel substantially in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade and a forwardly projecting flange rigid with said hook portion having a downwardly extending abutment portion engageable with the front face of the blade and a connecting pin receiving aperture.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said braces are located between the top and bottom ends of the scarifiers, and a top brace structure is rigidly connected to the top portion of said scarifiers.

5. The tool of claim 3 wherein some brace-s are angle members located between the top and bottom ends of the scarifiers, and a top plate structure is rigidly connected to the top portions of said scarifiers.

6. The combination with a bulldozer blade having a concave curved front face; of a scarifier tool detachably mounted on said blade comprising a frame structure including a plurality of spaced apart scarifiers having downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth, the rear face of said frame structure being of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the front face of the blade whereby the frame structure and front face are in substantially full abutting engagement; and means detachably mounting the frame structure on said blade comprising hook means rigid with said frame structure above the bottom thereof and open at the top in which the lower edge of the blade is engaged, and fastening elements above said hook means detachably connected to said blade; said fastening elements including an aperture adjacent each side of the frame structure matching with an aperture carried by the blade and a removable connecting pin therethrough, a bracket having a channeled hook portion detachably engaging over the top of said blade with the opposite faces of the channel substantially [in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade and a forwardly projecting flange rigid with said hook portion having a downwardly extending abutment portion engageable with the front face of the blade and an aperture matching with an aperture in said frame structure, and a removable connecting pin extend-ing through the latter two apertures.

7. The method of detachably positioning an attachment tool against an earth working blade having a con cave working face; the tool having a frame structure the rear face of which is of a convex curvature and being of such construction that when said tool is at rest on a supporting surface with its rear convex face in engagement with such supporting surface a free open space exists between said supporting surface and the top end portion of the tool, and hook means on said tool above the bottom thereof and open at the top for receiving the lower edge of the blade; said method comprising first positioning the tool with its convex rear face resting on a supporting surface whereby the top end portion thereof is above said surface and such free open space is provided between said supporting surface and said top end portion, while the tool is thus supported on its rear face moving the blade to insert it with the bottom of the blade foremost into said open space between said top end portion and said supporting surface, and continuing such movement to elevate the tool and cause the lower edge of the blade to engage in said hook means and the concave face of the blade to engage the convex face of the tool.

8. The method of detachably mounting an attachment tool against an earth working blade mounted on a vehicle and having a concave working face; the tool having a frame structure the rear face of which is of a convex curvature, hook means on said tool above the bottom thereof and open at the top for receiving the lower edge of the blade, and fastening elements above said hook means for detachable connecting to said blade; said method comprising positioning the tool with its convex face on a supporting surface whereby the top end portion thereof is above said surface, propelling the vehicle to insert the blade between said top end portion and said surface, continuing such propulsion to elevate the top end of the tool while its bottom remains supported, and to cause the lower edge of the blade to engage in said hook means and the concave face of the blade to engage the convex face of the tool, and then detachably fastening the tool to the blade.

9. The method of detachably mounting a scarifier tool on a bulldozer blade mounted on tractor and having a concave working face, which comprises providing a tool having a rigid frame structure including spaced apart scarifiers, a rear face which is of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the concave face of said blade, hook means on said frame structure above the bottom thereof for receiving the lower edge of the blade, and fastening elements above said hook means including a substantially medially located aperture in said frame structure for enabling detachable connection to said blade; providing a fastening bracket having a hook portion adapted to engage detachably over the top of said blade, and a forwardly projecting flange rigid with said hook portion having an aperture adapted to match with said medially located aperture; positioning the tool with its convex face on the ground whereby the top end portion thereof is above the ground, propelling the tractor to insert the blade between said top end portion and the ground, continuing such propulsion to elevate the top end of the tool while its bottom remains supported, and to cause the lower edge of the blade to engage in said hook means and the concave face of the blade to engage the convex face of the tool; and then detachably fastening the tool including detachably mounting said bracket over the top of said blade with its aperture in registry with said medially located frame aperture, and passing a connecting pin through such apertures.

10. An earth working blade attachment tool comprising a rigid frame structure including a plurality of upright spaced apart sacrifiers having downwardly projecting ground engaging teeth, the rear face of said frame structure being of a convex curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the front face of an earth working blade upon which the tool is to be detachably mounted; and means providing for detachable mounting of the frame structure on said blade comprising hook means open at the top and mounted on said frame structure above the bottom thereof for receiving the lower edge of the blade, and fastening elements on said frame structure above said hook means for detachable connection with said blade; said fastening elements including a bracket having a channeled hook portion for detachably and floatingly engaging over the top of said blade with the opposite faces of the channel substantially in face to face engagement with the respective faces of the blade and a forwardly projecting flange integral and rigid with the said hook portion having a downwardly extending blade abutment portion engageable with the front face of the blade and a connecting pin receiving aperture, said channeled portion being relatively long to provide stability on the blade.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Spoon 37-145 Fletcher 37145 BM XR' Taylor 37-145 Richey.

'Str eb 214620 Forte 37 -145 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

8 6/58 Conrad 37145 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,544 10/51 Canada.

MILTON KAUFIVIAN, WILLIAMA. SMITH, III,

Examiners. 

7. THE METHOD FOR DETACHABLY POSITIONING AN ATTACHMENT TOOL AGAINST AN EARTH WORKING BLADE HAVING A CONCAVE WORKING FACE; THE TOOL HAVING A FRAME STRUCTURE THE REAR FACE OF WHICH IS OF A CONVEX CURVATURE AND BEING OF SUCH CONSTRUCTION THAT WHEN SAID TOOL IS AT REST ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE WITH ITS REAR CONVEX FACE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SUCH SUPPORTING SURFACE A FREE OPEN SPACE EXISTS BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE ASND THE TOP END PORTION OF THE TOOL, AND HOOK MEANS ON SAID TOOL ABOVE THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND OPEN AT THE TOP FOR RECEIVING THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BLADE; SAID METHOD COMPRISING FIRST POSITIONING THE TOOL WITH ITS CONVEX REAR FACE RESTING ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE WHEREBY THE TOP END PORTION THEREOF IS ABOVE SAID SURFACE AND SUCH FREE OPEN SPACE IS PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND SAID TOP END PORTION, WHILE THE TOOL IS THUS SUPPORTED ON ITS REAR FACE MOVING THE BLADE TO INSERT IT WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE BLADE FOREMOST INTO SAID OPEN SPACE BETWEEN SAID TOP END PORTION AND SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND CONTINUING SUCH MOVEMENT TO ELEVATE THE TOOL AND CAUSE THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BLADE TO ENGAGE IN SAID HOOK MEANS AND THE CONCAVE FACE OF THE BLADE TO ENGAGE THE CONVEX FACE OF THE TOOL. 